Interlocking metal shingle construction

ABSTRACT

A metal shingle construction containing simulated shingles formed of sheet metal which present the appearance of wooden Hollywood shakes. The shingles of adjacent courses are in interlocking engagement as are adjacent shingles in each course so as to prevent a hard and driven rain from penetrating the joints between adjacent shingles, as well as to prevent flapping of the shingles in the wind. Nailing of the shingles to a roof substructure is only required at one end of each shingle, securance of the opposite end being provided by interlocking engagement with the shingles of an adjacent course. The nails, or other fastening means, are disposed in the shingle construction in completely sheltered position with respect to the weather without requirement of mastic or equivalent sealing means. The shingles are arranged such that prior to attachment of the shingles of each course the shingles therein may be shifted laterally and angled, or &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;skewed&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;, relative to each other to adjust the length of the course to the dimensions of the roof and thereby prevent the course from overlapping the edge of the roof. Special forms of shingles are provided for forming valleys, and another special form is provided for constructing hip roofs both of which are necessary when two flat roof surfaces intersect to form a valley or a hip. Generally speaking, the construction of these special shingles is substantially the same as that outlined above for regular shingles, but differs in the one respect that one side of the shingle is formed at an angle to the other side. The shingles designed for use in valleys are narrow at the lower and thicker end and wider at the top and thin end, while the shingles designed for hips are wider at the lower end and narrow at the upper. These special shingles for both hips and valleys are necessarily constructed, sold and used in pairs as they must form a special joint where they abut at the hip or valley. Another difference between these special shingles for valleys and those for the regular flat roof structure lies in the fact that there is no flange or gutter where the two valley shingles of each pair abut each other.

United States Patent Merrillet [54] INTERLOCKING METAL SHINGLECONSTRUCTION [72] Inventors: Clifford C. Merrill, Ferndale; Carl E.

Strombeck, Loleta, both of Calif.

[22] Filed: Feb. 24, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 13,592

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No.804,424, Mar. 5,

1969, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl ..52/530 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,106,853 1968Great Britain ..52 529 Primary Examiner-John E. Murtagh- Attorney-JosephB. Gardner [451 June 6, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT A metal shingle constructioncontaining simulated shingles formed of sheet metal which present theappearance of wooden Hollywood shakes. The shingles of adjacent coursesare in interlocking engagement as are adjacent shingles in each courseso as to prevent a hard and driven rain from penetrating the jointsbetween adjacent shingles, as well as to prevent flapping of theshingles in the wind. Nailing of the shingles to a roof substructure isonly required at one end of each shingle, securance of the opposite endbeing provided by interlocking engagement with the shingles of anadjacent course. The nails, or other fastening means, are disposed inthe shingle construction in completely sheltered position with respectto the weather without requirement of mastic or equivalent sealingmeans. The shingles are arranged such that prior to attachment of theshingles of each course the shingles therein may be shifted laterallyand angled, or skewed", relative to each other to adjust the length ofthe course to the dimensions of the roof and thereby prevent the coursefrom overlapping the edge of the roof.

Special forms of shingles are provided for forming valleys, and anotherspecial form is provided for constructing hip roofs both of which arenecessary when two flat roof surfaces intersect to form a valley or ahip. Generally' speaking, the'construction of these special shingles issubstantially the same as that outlined above for regular shingles, butdiffers in the one respect that one side of the shingle is formed at anangle to the other side. The shingles designed for use in valleys arenarrow at the lower and thicker end and wider at the top and thin end,while the shingles designed for hips are wider at the lower end andnarrow at the upper. These special shingles for both hips and valleysare necessarily constructed, sold and used in pairs as they must form aspecial joint where-they abut at the hip or valley. Another differencebetween these special shingles for valleys and those for the regularflat roof structure lies in the fact that there is no flange or gutterwhere the two valley shingles of each pair abut each other.

9 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTED N 6 I9 2 SHEET 10F 3 INVENTORS C.MERRILL CLIFFORD CARL E. STROMB CK ATTORNEY PATENTEDJUH s 1912 3,667,184

sum 2 OF 3 'INVENTORS CLIFFORD c. MERRILL CARL E. STROMBECK A TTORNEYPATENTEDJUH 5:912

sum 3 OF 3 N VE N TORS CLIFFORD C. MERRILL Y CARL E. 57' O ECK A TORNEYINTERLOCKING METAL SHINGLE CONSTRUCTION CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATEDAPPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of our copendingpatent application Ser. No. 804,424, filed Mar. 5, 1969, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a metal roofshingle and, more particularly, to a metal roof shingle which simulatesa wooden shake shingle and has an improved construction providing itwith versatility and making it easily installable, but yet which assuresa weather-proof roof assembly.

Various metal shingles have been designed to provide a metal shingleroof construction which in appearance resembles that of a wooden shingleroof but yet possesses advantages thereover particularly as to ease ofinstallation, cost, durability, and the like. However; it has beennecessary in the past for metal shingles to have relatively complicatedinterlocking structure for securing adjacent shingles together to assurethat the resulting roof is secure and weatherproof. In some instances,it has been found necessary or desirable to coat the undersides of themetal shingle with a mastic or equivalent adhesive sealing means toprovide the roof with the necessary sealed properties. Besides theincreased cost of construction arising from the addition of the sealingmeans it is necessary that metal shingles be interlocked on a roof in amanner which assures that the joints between the shingles are leakproof.

Most shingle interlocking arrangements provided in the past require thatadjacent shingles be in particular locations with respect to one anotherbefore the shingle joint will have the necessary water seal. Most metalshingle roofs therefore have a regular pattern of shingles whichdistinguishes the same from conventional wood shake roofs with theirmore irregular shingle patterns. Moreover, the interlocking structurebetween adjacent shingles has generally been such that the shinglescannot readily be moved relative to one another in order to adjust thelength of a course of shingles to conform to the dimensions of the roof.Consequently, a course of shingles frequently overlaps the edge of theroof, and the outermost shingle of the course must be trimmed flush withthe roof edge. Besides this resulting in an unsightly edge appearance,problems result in properly sealing the edge to assure a tight,waterproof seal of the shingles to the roof. Further, the interlockingstructure of former shingles generally prevents angling, or twisting, ofa shingle with respect to those adjacent to it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention is a metal shingle ofimproved construction formed to simulate a wood shake and equipped withstructure for interlocking the shingle with adjacent shingles in amanner which permits relative adjustability thereof so that the preciselocation and orientation of the shingle relative to those adjacentthereto can be selectively changed both as respects the distanceseparating any one shingle from those laterally adjacent thereto in thesame course and as respects the angle at which it lies relative to theothers, all while assuring a weatherproof securence of the shingle toadjacent shingles and to the roof base.

In its basic aspects, the metal shingle is wedge-shaped and includes abody section having along opposite longitudinal edges thereof, first andsecond downwardly extending tapered or wedge-shaped side walls which,with a generally rectangular downwardly extending end wall or base,simulate the wedge-shape of a conventional wooden shake shingle. Theshingle in certain forms thereof also includes a third wedgeshaped sidewall spaced from and extending along'the first side wall to which it isconnected by a web to define at one side of the shingle a U-shapedchannel or gutter section which simulates the spacing ordinarilyprovided between wooden shake shingles when fastened onto a roof.. Theshingle is provided with cooperable means at both the upper and lowerends of the body section thereof for interlocking the shingle withsimilar shingles of adjacent upper and lower courses, respectively.Moreover, the second side wall of the shingle is adapted to overlap thethird side wall of a substantially identical shingle in the same courseand engage such adjacent shingle within its U-shaped channel tointerlock the shingles together.

The cooperable means at the upper and lower ends of the body section ofeach single for interlocking the same with similar shingles of bothupper and lower courses is meshable with the corresponding interlockingmeans of its laterally adjacent shingles to permit such adjacentshingles to be laterally shiftable with respect to one anotherso thatthe length of a course of shingles can be readily adjusted to thedimensions of the roof. This construction also permits the laterallyadjacent shingles in the same course to be angled with respect to oneanother in order to adjust the shingles so as to correct variations inthe base. The cooperable means at the upper and lower ends of the bodysections are also designed to permit shingles of the adjacent upper andlower courses to be secured to the shingle in any lateral position withrespect thereto. In short, the construction of a metal shingle accordingto the present invention provides a completely waterproof joint betweeneach shingle and all adjacent shingles, and yet permits variations inthe spacing of laterally adjacent shingles, permits the offset of theshingles of one course with respect to those of an upper or lowercourse, and permits differences, not only in the spacing of laterallyadjacent shingles, but also in the angles at which they lie with respectto one another in order to compensate for the slight variation in theroof base which is common in building construction. Thus, these shinglesprovide a waterproof roof in which the shingles can be adjusted to aconsiderable degree with respect to those lying immediately adjacentthereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention areillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of shingles of the inventionillustrating the manner in which they are interlockedz,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on a planeindicated by the lines 22 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the interlockingarrangement between adjacent shingles in the same course which permitssuch adjacent shingles to be laterally shifted with respect to oneanother and yet provides a weatherproof seal;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of interlocked upper end comers oftwo adjacent shingles;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on a planeindicated by lines 4-4 of FIG. 1, illustrating the interlockingstructure of the upper end comers of the adjacent shingles and themanner in which such structure is meshable to permit adjacent shinglesof a course to be shifted laterally with respect to each other prior tonailing to adjust the length of the shingle course to the dimensions ofa roof;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on a plane indicated by line 5-5 ofFIG. 1 and illustrating the cooperating means for interlocking shinglesof adjacent courses together;

FIG. 6 is a partial rear, or bottom, view of a shingle of the inventioninterlocked with adjacent shingles and illustrating the interlockingstructure from below;

FIG. 7 is an upper end view of a shingle of the invention secured to aroof sheathing and interlocked with adjacent shingles;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a starter strip for securing thelowermost course of shingles onto a roof;

FIG. 9 is a partial view of a shingle of a lowermost course of shinglessecured to a roof by the starter strip of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a pair of shingles designed for theformation of a hip roof;

FIG. 11 is a broken transverse sectional view of the pair of shinglesforming a hip, the section being taken along the line 11-1 1 ofFIG.

FIG. 12 is a broken top plan view of one of the shingles shown in FIG.10; 7

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a pair of adjacent shingles forming avalley; and

FIG. 14 is a broken lower end view of the pair of shingles shown in FIG.13, the view being taken along the line 14-14 of FIG. 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Considering now theinvention in detail and referring to the illustrated form thereof in thedrawings, FIG. 1 depicts a roof shingle arrangement 11 comprising aplurality of interlocking metal shingles generally referred to by thereference character 12 but individually characterized by the primemarkings and These shingles are arranged in courses with the shingles ofadjacent courses being in interlocking engagement and the adjacentshingles of each course being in interlocking engagement in a mannersubsequently described. Each shingle is preferably formed of a singlesheet of metal, such as aluminum, in a configuration which simulates awooden shake shingle such as that known as a Hollywood Shake. Moreparticularly, each shingle 12 includes a generally rectangular bodysection 13 and various other sections integrally connected along eachone of the four edges thereof and folded with respect thereto.Preferably, this-body section, or top 13 of a shingle is stamped withirregular corrugations to simulate the upper surface of a wooden shake.To further simulate a wooden shake, the first and second wedge-shapedside walls 14, 16, respectively, are provided at the opposite sides ofbody section 13 in right angular relation thereto.

- The points of the side walls are positioned at the first, orupper,'end 17 of the body section, while the large or base end edges ofthe side walls are positioned, at opposite, or lower, end 18 thereof. Anend wall section19 depends generally right-angularly from the end 18 ofthe body section and extends transversely between the base ends of sidewalls 14, 16. It will be noted, particularly from FIG. '5, that the ends21 of the end wall 19 are folded inwardly and tightly around the baseends of the respective wedge-shaped side walls 14 and 16 similar to thefolded seam of a tin can. Thus, each of the folded over ends 21 is intight sealing engagement with its associated side wall end. It has beenfound that this arrangement provides a tight water seal between the sidewalls and end wall of the shingle so that water cannot get beneath theshingles through the side wall end wall joint.

From the above it will be appreciated that the body section 13, sidewalls 14 and 16, and end wall 19 present exteriorly the appearance of asolid wood shake shingle. Each of the shingles 12 further includes meansdefining a longitudinal channel along its sides similar to thechannel'found between wood shingles secured to a roof. Moreparticularly, one side of the shingle 12 (the left side in theseFigures) consists entirely of the side wall 16, which terminates at itslower edge in a narrow, flat lip 34 (see particularly the left side ofFIG. 1 and the left side of shingle 12" in FIG. 2). The other side wall14 defines a part of a U-shaped channel 22 longitudinally of the otherside of the shingle. Such channel is further defined by a thirdwedge-shaped side wall 23 which is in spaced parallel relation to sidewall 14 and interconnected therewith by a right angularly extending web24 which runs lengthwise of the shingle between opposite ends 17, 18 ofthe shingle body section 13.

Each of the shingles 12 is provided with cooperable means at its upperand lower ends for interlocking the shingle with similar shingles ofadjacent upper and lower courses. More particularly, the upper end 17 ofthe body section 13 of each shingle is provided with a preferablyintegral holding flange 26 which extends substantially the whole widthof the body section reentrantly upwardly and inwardly from the end 17.Such holding flange is closely spaced to and conforms to the uppersurface of the body section therebeneath to define with such bodysection a slot 27 (see particularly FIGS. 3 and 5). The lower end of thebody section 13 of each shingle is provided with means for engagementwithin the slot 27 of a shingle or shingles on an adjacent lower courseto provide the desired interlocking. That is, a tongue 28 extendsinwardly from the lower end edge of the end wall 19 substantiallyperpendicular thereto. As best illustrated in FIG. 6, such tongue 28extends for substantially the full width of the body section and, asshown in FIG. 5, is receivable within a slot 27 defined by the shinglesof a lower adjacent course.

As mentioned previously, the cooperable means of interlocking shinglesof adjacent courses together is designed to permit the shingles of theadjacent courses to be interlocked without regard to the particularlocation of the shingles to one another. That is, the shingles of anupper course may be secured over the joint of two shingles of a lowercourse such as is illustrated in FIG. 1, as well as in alignment withone of the lower shingles. The particular configuration of the holdingflange 26 at the upper ends of the shingles is primarily responsible forthis ability. More particularly, as-is best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and5, flange 26 conforms for its full length fairly closely to theconfiguration of the body section therebeneath. In this connection, theuppermost portion of the body section adjacent its upper end is flat (asindicated by the reference character 29, FIGS. 5 and 6) forsubstantially the full width of the body section and is connected to theremainder of the body section 13 by an upwardly inclined portion 30. Theholding flange also includes a flat portion overlying the flat portionof the body section and a section inclined upwardly with the inclinedportion of the body section. At the free end of the holding flange, itextends upwardly away from the body section to provide a mouth for thereception of the tongue of the upwardly adjacent shingle. Thus, neitherthe holding flange nor the body section therebeneath has any structurewhich would prevent the tongueof an upwardly adjacent shingle from beinginserted within the slot 27 any place along its length, even across thejoint between two shingles.

As is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7, the flat upper edge portion of thebody section has another advantage. It provides beneath the shingle aflat surface 29 for engagement with the flat surface of a roof sheathingor the like to which the shingle is to be secured. This matingengagement of the two surfaces assures that when the shingle is securedto the roof sheathing its upper end will be rigidly secured thereto forits full width without bending. To enable securance of the shingles tothe roof sheathing, the flat portion of the upper end of the bodysection 29 and the holding flange 26 are provided with transverselyspaced sets 31 of registering holes or apertures for the reception ofheaded fasteners, such as the nail 32, to secure the shingle upper endsto the sheathing. As is best illustrated in FIG. 3, each set of theholes 31 is provided with an annular raised ridge 33 circumscribing thesame on the upper surface of the holding flange 26. This raised ridgesealingly engages the head of a fastener 32 passing through itsassociated hole set 31 to provide a seal between such fastener and thehole. 1

The raised ridges 33 are preferably provided by forming the registeringsets 31 of holes by punching the same from the bottom of the shingle ona punch press which will result in the area around the hole on the upperside of the shingle having the ridge. 1

' It should be noted that in installing a plurality of the shingles ofthe invention on a roof, the shingles are secured to the roof in courseswith the lowermost course being the first secured to the roof, the nexthigher course being the second, and so on. When a shingle is beingsecured to a shingle of the next lower course, the tongue 28 of theformer shingle is inserted into the slot 27 at the upper end of thelower shingle. Most desirably, the tongue 28 of each shingle is angleddownward at an obtuse angle with respect to its associated end wall 19and at an angle with respect thereto greater than the angle of the slot27 thereto when the shingles are secured to the roof. The result is thatupon the tongue initiallybeing engaged within the slot 27 of a lowershingle secured to the roof sheathing, the upper shingle will angleupwardly from its lower end away from the roof sheathing and its upperend must be forced down to permit the same to be nailed to thesheathing. Thus, the shingle is placed in tension at the time it issecured to the roof. It has been found that such tension at the jointsbetween the shingles of two adjacent courses provides an enhancedsecurance of the shingles together and assures that wind or the likewill not be able to break the connection between such shingles.

As a particularly salient feature of the invention, the interlockingstructure between adjacent shingles in the same course is designed topermit lateral shifting of the shingles relative to one another and yetprovide the weatherproof seal that is necessary in the joint betweensuch shingles. As is illustrated in FIG. 2, adjacent shingles in thesame course are interlocked along their entire length by thewedge-shaped side wall 16 of one shingle being received within theU-shaped channel 22 of its adjacent shingle with the side wall 16encompassing the side wall 23 of its adjacent shingle. As will bedescribed below, the holding flanges of the adjacent shingles are meshedin a manner which will permit the shingles to be laterally adjustedrelative to one another between the illustrated solid line and dottedline positions of the shingle 12' relative to the shingle 12" (FIG. 2).It is especially important to note that a lip 34 extends laterallyoutward from the lower longitudinal edge of the side wall 16 of eachshingle for substantially its full length and that this lip has a widthsubstantially less than that of web 24. This lip engages the web 24 ofthe adjacent shingle in a mating relationship as shown. It has beenfound that this mating relationship between the shingle and the webassures that a watertight seal is provided between the shingles,irrespective of the lateral location of the side wall 16 within thechannel 24.

The structure for interlocking the upper end of each shingle with thelower end of a shingle of an adjacent upper course is made meshable withthe corresponding interlocking structure on the upper end of thelaterally adjacent shingles of the same course so that the lateraladjustability discussed above is possible. More particularly, as is bestillustrated in FIG. 4, the holding flange 26 of each shingle includes ahooded end portion 36 extending laterally over the upper end of thechannel 22. The comer portion 36 is upwardly and laterally offset withrespect to the channel section to form with the channel upper end asocket 37 adapted to receive a locking tab 38 of an adjacent shingle.

The locking tab 38 of each shingle is formed by the upper end comer ofthe body section opposite to the portion 36 being upwardly and laterallyoffset relative to the flat upper end portion of the shingle andterminating in the downwardly extending locking tab 38, which is theupper end of the side wall 16 and lip 34. As illustrated, such lockingtab is engageable within the socket 37 in overlapping relationship tothe upper end of the channel side wall 23 of the adjacent shingle.Because of the socket formed by the upwardly extending holding flangeportion 36 and the channel 22 therebeneath, the locking tab 38 islaterally movable within such socket between the location shown in solidlines and that indicated by dotted lines, thereby permitting lateraladjustment of one shingle relative to another for the full length ofsuch shingles. This socket construction not only permits lateralmovement of one shingle 12 with respect to the laterally adjacent one,but it also permits skewing or angling of one shingle 12 with respect toits laterally adjacent neighbor. It is well-known that in buildingconstruction there are many minor irregularities in a roof base, and tocompensate for such irregularities, it is desirable to twist, or skew,one shingle l2 slightly with respect to the one immediately adjacentthereto. The fact that the locking lip 34 at the bottom edge of the sidewall 16 is much narrower than the web 24 which forms the base of channel22, and the fact that the socket 37 also permits lateral adjustment ofthe top comer of a shingle, automaticallyprovides the necessary lateraladjustment of two adjacent shingles, both spatially and angularly.

It should be noted that the meshing structure just described is locatedcloser to the upper end 17 of the body section that the depth to whichthe tongue 28 of an upper adjacent shingle is to extend within the slot27. Thus, such meshing structure does not interfere with the securanceof an upper adjacent shingle over a joint of two shingles in the samecourse. From FIG. 6 it will be noted that the side edges of the tongue28 of each shingle terminate at locations adjacent the side walls 14 and16 and such tongue does not extend beneath the U-shaped channel so thatit will not interfere with the tongues of the laterally adjacentshingles when they are shifted laterally with respect to the shingle ofwhich the tongue is a part.

The lateral shiftability of the location of two adjacent shingles in thesame course pemtits the length of the course to be readily adjusted tothe dimensions of a roof so that overlap of the roof edge can beprevented. Moreover, it permits the visible width of the channelsbetween various shingles to be varied or staggered to provide anirregular shingle arrangement more closely resembling the shinglearrangement obtained with conventional wood shakes.

As has been explained before, when shingles of the invention are to besecured onto a roof sheathing, the lowermost course of the shingles isthe first one secured to the sheathing. Means must be provided forsecuring the lower ends of the lower course shingles to such sheathing.FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate an improved starter strip, generally referredto by the reference numeral 41, for this purpose. Starter strip 41 is inthe form of an elongated strip of metal, such as aluminum, which is bentlongitudinally thereof to provide means for sealing the same to the roofsheathing and means for securing the lower end of the shingles. Moreparticularly, strip 41 includes a lip 42 which depends downwardly andinwardly from a longitudinally extending main or flat section 43 adaptedfor mating engagement with the upper surface of the roof sheathing. Aholding flange 44 at the upper end of section 43 extends reentrantlyupwardly and inwardly thereof over such section to define a slot 45 forthe tongues 28 of the lowermost course shingles. As is illustrated,registering sets of holes 46 are transversely spaced longitudinallyalong strip 41 and extend through both holding flange 44 and mainsection 43 for the passage of nails or the like to securesuch holdingstrip to a roof sheathing. When the strip is so secured to a roofsheathing, it is forced upwardly relative to the edge of the sheathingto cause lip 42 to tightly engage the sheathing edge, and it has beenfound that such lip will then provide a good watertight seal betweensuch sheathing and the starting strip. Thereafter, the tongues 28 of thelower course shingles are inserted within the slot 45 to thereby securethe same to the roof edge. It will be appreciated that the engagement ofthe tongue within the slot 45 will prevent leakage of water or the likebetween the shingle and such strip, thereby assuring a watertight sealbetween the shingle and the sheathing.

Many roof surfaces are formed with an intersection of two planarsurfaces. When an exterior angle is formed by the intersection of thetwo roof surfaces, it is known as a hip roof; and when an interior angleis formed by the two intersecting surfaces, it is known as a valley.Special shingles are required to accommodate hips and valleys, as oneend of each shingle therefor must be much wider than the other endthereof. Specifically, a shingle for a hip roof is wider at the bottomthan at the top, and for a valley it is wider at the top than thebottom. Accordingly, while the shingles l2 heretofore described aresubstantially rectangular, those adapted for use on hips and in valleyshave somewhat the appearance of a truncated right triangle, and alongtheir outer sides are respectively adapted to cooperate with thelaterally adjacent shingles 12 in the same course along their angledsides, the hip and valley shingles cooperate with one another, and it isbelieved apparent that such shingles must be manufactured and sold inpairs, i.e., a left-hand and right-hand shingle, in order to cooperatewith each other. Further, the outer side of the righthand shingle isformed with a channel corresponding to the channel 22 of the rectangularshingle l2 and the outer side of the left-hand shingle is formed with alip corresponding to the lip 34 of the shingles 12. I

' It is evident that as the slope of the roof surfaces change, the angleat which the cooperative edges of a pair of hip or a pair of valleyshingles engage must also change. However, we have found that by usingthe construction hereinafter described, it is possible to standardizethe shingle pairs so as to afford sufficient lateral and angularadjustment to accommodate a number of different slopes. As an example,such shingle pairs can satisfy therequirements of roofs varying fromslopes with a rise in 3 inches per foot of run to a rise of 8 inches perfoot of run, or from a rise of one in four, which is a gently slopingroof, to a rise of two in three, which is very steep. A pair of shingles60, 61 for a hip roof is shown in FIGS. 10 and 1 l, and such shinglesare adapted to cooperate with each other along their inner adjacentedges and along their respective outer edges with the shingles 12 shownin FIGS. 1 through 9 which are intended for generally planar runs orcourses. The shingle 61 has a channel or gutter 62 formed along theright side edge 64 thereof which is essentially the same as the gutter22 of the rectangular shingles 12. Similarly, the left edge 66 of theleft-hand shingle 60 is formed with a lip 65 adapted to lie within thechannel 22 of the laterally adjacent shingle 12 and is essentially thesame as the wall and lip 16, 34 thereof. Also, the tops 67 of theshingles 60 and 61, the lower end walls 68 and 69 thereof,.the side wall64 of the channel 62 are substantially the same as described inconnection with the rectangular shingle 12 shown in FIGS. 1 to 9,inclusive. The upper end 67 of each of the shingles 60, 61 is providedwith an integral holding' flange 70 formed in the same manner aspreviously described although the flange on the shingle 60 may beslightly longer adjacent its channel or gutter 77 to be describedsubsequently. The upper ends 67 are also provided with nail holes 71 sothat the shingles can be securely attached to the roof structure. It isbelieved clear to'those skilled in the art that the base or lower endwalls 69 are provided with an interlocking flange or tonguecorresponding to. the tongue 28 previously described, although suchtongue is not shown in FIGS. 10 and l 1. It will be appreciated, thatthe shingles 60, 61 are generally the same as the shingles 12 describedin connection with FIGS. 1 through 9, including stamped upper surfaces63 to simulate the top of a wooden shingle, but their adjacent innerwalls 75, 76 are not respectively parallel to their other sides 66, 64.As'previously indicated, the interior walls 75, 76 are respectively cutat an angle relative to the outer walls 64, 66 such that the top 67 ofeach hip shingle is considerably narrower than the associated lower endwalls 68, 69 thereof.

7 In order to provide for the lateral adjustment and change in angularrelationship between the two hip shingles 60 and 61, the wall 75 isequipped with a channel or gutter 77 defined by a lip 78 extendinglaterally from the wall 75 at the bottom thereof and a wall 79 extendingupwardly from the lip in spaced relation with the wall 75. The walls 75and 79 diverge rearwardly toward the end 67 'so that the gutter 77 iswider at the rear of the shingle 60 than at the forward end thereof, asshown best in FIG. 12. Also, the walls 75 and 79 are angularly disposedrelative to the plane of the top wall section 63 and diverge upwardlyfrom the web 78. The wall 76 of the shingle 61 is also angularlydisposed relative to the top wall section 63, and initially inclinesoutwardly and downwardly therefrom at its lower edge is equipped with alip 80 which tapers from front to rear so as to be substantially widerat the front of the shingle. Y

The pair of shingles 90, 91 for forming a valley between twointersecting roof surfaces are shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. One of theshingles (91 in this instance) is formed with a gutter 92 on the sameside as the gutters formed on the rectangular shingles 12 (for purposesof illustration the gutter 22 is shown on the right side of shingles 12,although it is apparent that the gutter 22 and lip 34 could bereversed). The opposite wall of the other shingle (90 in this instance)is provided with a lip 95 adapted to lie in the gutter 22 of an adjacentshingle 12 (not shown in these figures). These shingles, as are all ofthose described in this application, are wedge-shaped, being thin at thetop 97 and thick at the bottom 98. Necessarily, therefore,

these shingles 90, 91 have wedge shaped side walls 94, 96 whichcorrespond to sides 14, 16 of the rectangular shingles shown in FIGS. 1to 9, inclusive. 7

Plate surface 93 is stamped to simulate the top of the wooden shingle,or shake, and has a bottom wall 99 corresponding to the bottom wall 19of the rectangular shingles. The bottom wall 99 is provided with aforwardly and downwardly extending tongue 107 which corresponds to thetongue 28 of the rectangular shingle, which is shown in FIG. 5. Theupper end of the shingle 97 is formed with an integral holding flange100, which is similar in construction to the flange 26 shown in thefigures illustrating the rectangular shingles. This flange and the plate93 immediately therebelow are provided with a plurality of nail holes101 so that the shingles can be rigidly attached to the roof deck 102.The shingles for construction of a roof valley are similar to thoseshown and described for forming a hip in that the adjacent walls 103 and104 are angularly disposed, but are provided with lips 105, 106,respectively, and the base ends 98 are narrower than the upper ends 97which is the reverse of that for the formation of a hip, as is shown bycomparing FIGS. 10and 12.

Each of the adjacent walls 103, 104 is formed with a lip, 105 and 106,which will lie in a separate gutter formed by a gutter strip 109 of anysuitable material, such as a heavy roofing composition or a bendablemetal strip. The use of the abutting lips 105, 106 permits angularadjustment between the valley shingles 90, 91 as is necessary toaccommodate the angular differences occasioned by pitch variations indifferent roofs or different sections of the same roof. The same pitchvariations can be handled as indicated for the previously described hipshingles 60 and 61. Since the shingles are formed of bendable metal, thelips 105 and 106 can be bent to conform to the valley shape. Byadjusting the angles between the shingle walls 103, 104,a wide range ofvalley angles can be accommodated by using the standard adjustableshingles described.

It is believed obvious from the foregoing description that the shingles60, 61 used for forming hips and the shingles 90, 91 used for formingvalleys are essentially those of the rectan gular form shown in FIGS. 1to-9, inclusive. They differ from the regularshingle in that both areshaped as truncated triangles the hip shingles 60, 61 having their basecorresponding to the bottom wall 69 and the truncated top at the upperend 67, while the valley shingles 90, 91 have their broadest portion(the base of the triangle) at the top 97 and the truncated narrowestportion at the lower end 98. It is evident that these shingles must beformed in pairs comprising left-hand and ring-hand shingles. Thus, forboth hips and valleys, there is a right-hand and a left-hand shinglenecessary to form the paired construction desired.

The spacing between the shingles and 91 along the adjacent edges thereofmay be varied to suit the requirements of any particular roofinstallation, and by way of example, the spacing is often of the orderof 4 inches. Since the shingles 90 and 91 are unconnected to each other,they can be canted or angularly disposed as necessary so long as thegutter strip 109 continues to underlie the same. It should be noted thatthe necessity for relative angular adjustment between the shinglesparticularly at a hip and at a valley is that the base ends of these hipand valley shingles should define an angle very close to 90 so that thecourses of shingles respectively comprising the same lie along straightlines on the associated roof sections and align properly with the othercourses and not have some unacceptable angular inclination which wouldmake the courses run along a skew line. It will be appreciated that asthe pitch of a roof changes, the relative orientation of the hipfomiingshingles 60 and 61 and valley-forming shingles 90 and 91 must be changedin order to effect the close approximation to 90 required by theintersection of the lower base walls 68 and 69 in the case of theshingles 60 and 61 and by the base walls 99 in the case of the valleyforming shingles 90 and 91.

it will be noted in FIGS. 10 and 13 that the base walls of the hipandvalley-forming shingles have'tabs that bend around the respectivelyassociated longitudinal side walls so as to interconnect the same. Thisis essentially the same as in the case of the shingles 12 of rectangularconfiguration in which the tabs interconnecting the longitudinal sidewalls and base wall of each shingle are provided by the base walls andare bent into continguous relation with the side walls. It is evidentthat the tabs can be provided either on the base or side walls, or thesecoactive wall elements could be interconnected in some appropriatealternative to effect the desired mechanical interlock and weather sealtherebetween.

From all of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that all forms of theshingles provide relative adjustment therebetween, and ordinarily thelateral bodily displacement indicated in FIG. 2 is sufficient to enablestandardized shingles 12 to be adjusted sufficiently to accommodate therequirements of fiat roofs. However, any two cooperative shingles can beangularly adjusted or canted relative to each other, as indicated bestin FIG. 10, which is especially advantageous as concerns the paired hipand paired valley shingles 60, 61 and 90, 91, respectively, in order toenable standardized shingle pairs to be adjusted sufi'rciently'toaccommodate the angular variation at a roof hip orvalley caused bychanges in the pitch of the roof. The tapering channel 77 which widensrearwardly and tapering lip 80 which narrows rearwardly enhance theangular accommodation afforded by the cooperative hip shingles.

What is claimed is:

l. A metal shingle comprising a body section defining a top wall, firstand second wedge-shaped side walls extending downwardly from said topwall along opposite sides thereof with the smaller narrow ends of saidside walls being adjacent an upper first end of said body section andwith the larger base ends of said side walls being adjacent a lowersecond end of said body section, an end wall section depending from saidtop wall adjacent the lower end of said body section and extendingtransversely between said side walls to simulate therewith and with saidtop wall a wedge-shaped shingle having a thick lower end and thin upperend, said side walls being respectively provided with cooperablestructure extending essentially from one end to the other of said bodyand enabling one of the side walls of said shingle to be disposed inassociation with the opposite side wall of a similar shingle laterallyadjacent thereto in the same course so as to form a joint therebetweenenabling any two such similar laterally adjacent shingles to be shiftedrelative to each other to orient the same in accordance with therequirements of any particular roof, cooperable means providing elementsrespectively adjacent the upper end of said body and adjacent the loweredge of said end wall section for interlocking said shingle with similarshingles of adjacent upper and lower courses, respectively, andincluding adjacent the upper end of said body a holding flange extendingover said top wall to define therewith a downwardly opening slot andalso including adjacent the lower end of said body a tongue extendingupwardly from the lower edge of said end wall section for receptionwithin the slot of a similar shingle disposed in a lower course tointerconnect one with the other, said holdingflange element havingopposite lateral edge portions respectively overlying said cooperablestructure along each side of said shingle and being structurallycomplementary with respect to each other so that one lateral edgeportion of said shingle will cooperatively interengage the oppositelateral edge portion of a similar shingle laterally adjacent thereto inthe same course, the elements of said cooperable means at the upper endof said body for interlocking said shingle with similar shingles of anupper adjacent course being meshable with the elements of saidcooperable means at the lower end of such similar shingles in the upperadjacent course to enable such interlocked shingles of adjacent coursesto be shifted with respect to each other to orient the same inaccordance with the requirements of any particular roof.

2. A metal shingle according to claim 1 in which said cooperablestructure along one of said side walls com rises a generally U-shapedchannel including a third si e wall disposed in spaced apart relationwith said first side walland a web extending therebetween andinterconnecting the same adjacent the lower edges thereof, said bodyalong the underside thereof adjacent said second side wall beingsubstantially free from obstructions to enable said second side wall tobe inserted into the channel of a similar laterally adjacent shingle soas to be disposed intermediate the firstand third side walls thereof,said lateral edge portions overlying the respectively associated channeland second side wall.

3. A metal shingle according to claim 1 in which said top wall definedby said body section is generally rectangular and said first and secondside walls are substantially parallel.

4. A metal shingle according to claim 1 in which the top wall defined bysaid body is generally trapezoidal with the thick lower and thin upperends thereof being substantially parallel, one of said first and secondside walls being substantially normal to the lower and upper ends ofsaid shingle and the other such side wall being angularly disposed withrespect thereto.

5. A metal shingle according to claim 1 further including a metallicstarter strip for securing said shingle onto the lower end of a roofsheathing, said strip including an elongated main section having aholding flange extending reentrantly upward and inward from the upperlongitudinal end thereof in closely spaced relationship to said mainsection to define therewith a downwardly opening slot for receiving thetongue of said shingle, said strip having transversely spaced sets ofregistering holes through said holding flange thereof and the mainsection therebeneath rearwardly of the location in said slot for saidtongue, and said strip further including a sealing lip dependingdownwardly and inclined inwardly from the lower end of said main sectionfor butting engagement with the end of said roof sheathing.

6. A metal shingle according to claim 2 wherein one of the lateral edgeportions of said holding flange extends laterally over the upper end ofsaid U-shaped channel section and is upwardly and laterally offset withrespect thereto to. form with said channel upper end a socket forreceiving therein a locking tab of an adjacent shingle, and wherein theupper end of said body section adjacent said second side wall and thelateral edge portion of the holding flange thereover are upwardly andlaterally offset with said body section comer terminating in adownwardly extending locking tab engageable within a socket of anadjacent similar shingle and laterally adjustable therein forsubstantially the full width of said socket.

7. A metal shingle according to claim 2 in which said channel is widerelative to the thickness of said second side wall and tapers in widthfrom end to end thereof so that said first and third side walls divergetoward the aforesaid first end of said body section, the aforesaidshiftability of shingles constituting bodily lateral displacements ofsimilar adjacent shingles and also angular displacements thereof so thattwo such similar laterally adjacent shingles can be canted with respectto each other from end to end thereof.

8. A metal shingle according to claim 10 in which the top wall definedby said body is generally trapezoidal with the thick lower and thinupper ends thereof being substantially parallel, one of said first andsecond side walls being substantially normal to the lower and upper endsof said shingle and the other such side wall being angularly disposedwith respect thereto.

9. A metal shingle according to claim 8 in which said top wall definedby said body has a generally trapezoidal configuration with the thicklower and thin upper ends of said shingle being substantially parallel,and further comprising an elongated gutter adapted to underlie theassociated side walls forming a joint between two laterally adjacenttrapezoidal shingles at a valley of a roof structure.

1. A metal shingle comprising a body section defining a top wall, firstand second wedge-shaped side walls extending downwardly from said topwall along opposite sides thereof with the smaller narrow ends of saidside walls being adjacent an upper first end of said body section andwith the larger base ends of said side walls being adjacent a lowersecond end of said body section, an end wall section depending from saidtop wall adjacent the lower end of said body section and extendingtransversely between said side walls to simulate therewith and with saidtop wall a wedge-shaped shingle having a thick lower end and thin upperend, said side walls being respectively provided with cooperablestructure extending essentially from one end to the other of said bodyand enabling one of the side walls of said shingle to be disposed inassociation with the opposite side wall of a similar shingle laterallyadjacent thereto in the same course so as to form a joint therebetweenenabling any two such similar laterally adjacent shingles to be shiftedrelative to each other to orient the same in accordance with therequirements of any particular roof, cooperable means providing elementsrespectively adjacent the upper end of said body and adjacent the loweredge of said end wall section for interlocking said shingle with similarshingles of adjacent upper and lower courses, respectively, andincluding adjacent the upper end of said body a holding flange extendingover said top wall to define therewith a downwardly opening slot andalso including adjacent the lower end of said body a tongue extendingupwardly from the lower edge of said end wall section for receptionwithin the slot of a similar shingle disposed in a lower course tointerconnect one with the other, said holdingflange element havingopposite lateral edge portions respectively overlying said cooperablestructure along each side of said shingle and being structurallycomplementary with respect to each other so that one lateral edgeportion of said shingle will cooperatively interengage the oppositelateral edge portion of a similar shingle laterally adjacent thereto inthe same course, the elements of said cooperable means at the upper endof said body for interlocking said shingle with similar shingles of anupper adjacent course being meshable with the elements of saidcooperable means at the lower end of such similar shingles in the upperadjacent course to enable such interlocked shingles of adjacent coursesto be shifted with respect to each other to orient the same inaccordance with the requirements of any particular roof.
 2. A metalshingle according to claim 1 in which said cooperable structure alongone of said side walls comprises a generally U-shaped channel includinga third side wall disposed in spaced apart relation with said first sidewalland a web extending therebetween and interconnecting the sameadjacent the lower edges thereof, said body along the underside thereofadjacent said second side wall being substantially free fromobstructions to enable said second side wall to be inserted into thechannel of a similar laterally adjacent shingle so as to be disposedintermediate the firstand third side walls thereof, said lateral edgeportions overlying the respectively associated channel and second sidewall.
 3. A metal shingle according to claim 1 in which said top walldefined by said body section is generally rectangular and said first andsecond side walls are substantially parallel.
 4. A metal shingleaccording to claim 1 in which the top wall defined by said body isgenerally trapezoidal with the thick lower and thin upper ends thereofbeing substantially parallel, one of said first and second side wallsbeing substantially normal to the lower and upper ends of said shingleand the other such side wall being angularly disposed with respectthereto.
 5. A metal shingle according to claim 1 further including ametallic starter strip for securing said shingle onto the lower end of aroof sheathing, said strip including an elongated main section having aholding flange extending reentrantly upward and inward from the upperlongitudinal end thereof in closely spaced relationship to said mainsection to define therewith a downwardly opening slot for receiving thetongue of said shingle, said strip having transversely spaced sets ofregistering holes through said holding flange thereof and the mainsection therebeneath rearwardly of the location in said slot for saidtongue, and said strip further including a sealing lip dependingdownwardly and inclined inwardly from the lower end of said main sectionfor butting engagement with the end of said roof sheathing.
 6. A metalshingle according to claim 2 wherein one of the lateral edge portions ofsaid holding flange extends laterally over the upper end of saidU-shaped channel section and is upwardly and laterally offset withrespect thereto to form with said channel upper end a socket forreceiving therein a locking tab of an adjacent shingle, and wherein theupper end of said body section adjacent said second side wall and thelateral edge portion of the holding flange thereover are upwardly andlaterally offset with said body section Corner terminating in adownwardly extending locking tab engageable within a socket of anadjacent similar shingle and laterally adjustable therein forsubstantially the full width of said socket.
 7. A metal shingleaccording to claim 2 in which said channel is wide relative to thethickness of said second side wall and tapers in width from end to endthereof so that said first and third side walls diverge toward theaforesaid first end of said body section, the aforesaid shiftability ofshingles constituting bodily lateral displacements of similar adjacentshingles and also angular displacements thereof so that two such similarlaterally adjacent shingles can be canted with respect to each otherfrom end to end thereof.
 8. A metal shingle according to claim 10 inwhich the top wall defined by said body is generally trapezoidal withthe thick lower and thin upper ends thereof being substantiallyparallel, one of said first and second side walls being substantiallynormal to the lower and upper ends of said shingle and the other suchside wall being angularly disposed with respect thereto.
 9. A metalshingle according to claim 8 in which said top wall defined by said bodyhas a generally trapezoidal configuration with the thick lower and thinupper ends of said shingle being substantially parallel, and furthercomprising an elongated gutter adapted to underlie the associated sidewalls forming a joint between two laterally adjacent trapezoidalshingles at a valley of a roof structure.